Hotshot
by Pricee
Summary: A prequel to my story 'Don't Go'. About Arcee and Optimus's son being born and the times before he was born. R&R. Optimus/Arcee


Normal font = Present time

**Bold font = Speaking over comm-link or Bumblebee's speech**

_Italics = Past (Flashback) or Future (This one is just at the end though)_

* * *

Everyone gathered around the med-bay. Ratchet helped Arcee; Smokescreen was stood a little out of the way but still close enough. Bulkhead was talking to Arcee and encouraging her, Bumblebee was doing this also as he held her hand. But the one person who really needed to be there... Wasn't there. As Ratchet frantically worked, Arcee cried in pain and gripped Bumblebee's hand tighter and grabbed Bulkhead's as well. Both mechs endured the pain, at this point in time their femme friend needed them. Arcee was had tears in her eyes as her pain got more intense.

"WHERE IS HE?!" She shouted as she braced herself for more pain.

"We haven't found his signal yet, but we are still looking." Raf said from his seat at the monitors. Miko, Fowler and Jack sat around him. June was trying to also give Arcee the encouragement she needed. Woman to femme help.

"I'm gonna kill him!" She cried as she flung up from her lying down position.

"DO YOU HAVE HIS SIGNAL YET?!" Bulkhead shouted as Arcee scratched down his arm, leaving long painful marks.

"Not yet Bulk." Miko said apologetically. The kids were rapidly looking for Optimus Prime's signal on the monitor. He needed to be there. Arcee needed him. She couldn't give birth to Optimus's sparkling without him being there. Arcee closed her optics tightly in pain. She tried to take her mind off of it by thinking of good times. She thought back to when she told Optimus she was pregnant.

* * *

_Arcee nervously paced around her quarters. She'd never been so nervous and scared. She and Optimus weren't even a proper couple; well, in everyone else's eyes they weren't. And that's because no one knew about them. They had kept their relationship secret. And keeping it a secret made their relationship better. Made it edgy and dangerous. It gave them something in this war that was actually theirs. No one knew so no one could stop them. She'd comm-linked Optimus asking him to come and see her. He wouldn't be long hopefully. She heard a soft knock on her door. "Come in." She saw Optimus slowly walk. He walked over to her and took her into his arms gently. She rested her head gently against his chassis. He picked her up and held her against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck; his arms held her waist against him._

_He kissed her cheeks, forehead and finally her lips. Arcee broke off the kiss and jumped down away from him. He tried to come closer, only to have her back away from him. _

_"Arcee... Are you alright?" He asked her, concern evident in his voice. _

_"What is this? What are we?"_

_"I do not understand what you mean."_

_"Us. Me and you. What are we to each other? What am I to you?" She sat down on her berth. Optimus knelt in front of her._  
_"Arcee what is this all about?" _

_"Please Optimus, answer me. Honestly. If you are just in this for physical reasons, tell me now. Please."_

_"Arcee, this is more than physical. I've never felt the way I feel about you with anyone else. I love you Arcee." She threw herself at him. She pulled his face into hers and kissed him passionately. _

_"I love you too Optimus." She whispered as they pulled apart. The two kept their foreheads pressed to the others. Optimus put his hands on her hips and held her close._

_"So what is this all about?"_

_Arcee didn't answer Prime. She just pulled away a bit and looked at him. Straight in his optic. All she saw was sincerity, concern... And love. She gently reached down and pulled his hand from her waist. She held it in her own and brought it to her face. He stroked her face with his thumb softly. She closed her eyes and leant into his touch. "Arcee..." He asked again. She moved his hand from her face, reluctantly, and took a deep breath. _

_"Are you sure you feel that way about me? Don't say it if you don't mean it." She was reluctant to admit the truth to him. _

_"Arcee. I love you. I have for a long time. And I will for the rest of time. I'll never let you go. Nothing will come between us. I promised you I'd always be there for you. We will finish this war and be together in peace."_  
_"And I promised to help you get through the war and be with you."_

_Arcee took a deep breath and held his hand tighter, "We will both be with you forever." Optimus's optics widened, "Both...?" _

_She moved his hand to her stomach__"Both of us." She whispered. Optimus made no movements or words. He stood still, his hands against Arcee's stomach. She moved away from him sadly. "You don't want this do you. It's not the right time. We're in a war. A sparkling would be in too much danger, especially your sparkling." She rambled on. Optimus grabbed her upper arms with both hands and made her face him. He kissed her with so much love and admiration it left them both breathless. _

_"Why would I not want this? You are the best thing to happen to me in a long time, you and our sparkling. I won't let anything happen to either of you. I promise!" He picked her up and hugged her, tightly. He stumbled to her berth and gently lay her down. Arcee blushed when Optimus hovered over her and placed his hand on her stomach again. He rubbed it with his thumb gently and held her hand with the other._

_Optimus spent a few minutes kissing and stroking Arcee's stomach. He couldn't seem to get his head around the idea of becoming a father. He honestly never thought this day would happen. He had longed for a child of his own since he was Orion Pax, a clerk at the Iacon Hall of Records. And now here he was; Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, Last remaining Prime; about to become a father. From the moment Arcee told him about her pregnancy, he wasn't the last remaining Prime, he was just an ordinary mech who was awaiting the birth of his first sparkling with the femme he loved. And Primus did he love her. Arcee was, as he'd stated to her on many occasions, the best thing that had happened during the war. Now she was giving him a sparkling, she truly was the best thing in his life. She kept him from being so up-tight. "Optimus..." _

_"Yes sweetspark?"_  
_"What are we going to tell the others?" Realisation struck Optimus. Arcee and him were having a sparkling with each other, but the team didn't even know they were together. _

_"We tell them exactly what this is. I love you, and you are carrying my sparkling. They can't stop us." Optimus said in his usual tone of voice, but ended it with a soft kiss on Arcee's stomach. He kissed on her hotspot that was on her right hip and she arched her hip towards him._

_Optimus smirked to himself as she desperately arched towards him, wordlessly pleading him to continue. And he was never one to deny his femme._

* * *

That night was 3 months ago. And Arcee loved Optimus with all her spark, but right now she could kill him. The pain she was feeling was unbearable. And to make matters worse, Optimus was MIA! She and all of Team Prime had tried to contact him multiple times, to reach nothing. She needed him to be helping her through this, helping her have his sparkling. Arcee let out a scream of pain and squeezed Bumblebee and Bulkheads hand tighter, she let her head fall down between her arms. She had her knees drawn up to her chassis.  
"How much longer until I can get this sparkling out?!" Arcee said through the pain.  
"Not long now 'Cee. Keep going, you're doing great!" Bulkhead encouraged her.  
"Ratchet? How long?" She whimpered.  
"Soon. Anything from Optimus?" Ratchet directed his attention to the monitors once again.  
"One second..."  
To keep her mind somewhat off the pain, Arcee thought back to when she and Optimus had nearly lost their little one.

* * *

_Team Prime were in the heat of battle. Optimus vs Dreadwing; Bulkhead and Smokescreen vs a group of Insecticons; Bumblebee vs Knockout; and Arcee vs a group of Vehicons. Dreadwing took off in flight as Prime gained the upper hand, so Optimus helped Bulkhead and Smokescreen. Bumblebee had defeated Knockout, who was now unconscious on the ground. 'Bee helped Arcee with the Vehicons. Everything was going in the Autobots favour. But out of nowhere, Arcee screamed in pain as a Vehicons shot her in the stomach. She dropped to the floor and held her abdomen. Bumblebee attempted to go to her aid, only to be tackled by two vehicons. Optimus turned to face the separate battle when he heard his girlfriends scream. He saw her on the floor, energon around her, holding her stomach. Where his sparkling was developing. He ran towards her, increasing his speed as the same Vehicon aimed it's blaster at her. Prime desperately sprinted towards her, worried about both Arcee and their son or daughter. He couldn't let her get hurt. He couldn't let their sparkling get hurt. They were everything to him._

_"NO!" Optimus shouted in anger as the Vehicon shot Arcee in the back, just by her stomach. Optimus attacked the Vehicon and killed it swiftly. He ran to Arcee, as she lay on the floor. Energon poured out of her wounds. Optimus gently picked her up bridal style and held her close to his chassis. He heard her groan in pain as she lay limply in his arms. She'd already fallen unconscious and stayed that way as the team sent an emergency Groundbridge message. Running into the base, Bumblebee and Bulkhead ushered the 5 humans out the way as Optimus charged through the bridge, towards the Med-Bay. Ratchet had set up a berth when they left, as he always did; it was a precaution. Optimus lay Arcee down and stood close to her, he was reluctant to leave her side as he was convinced that if he did, she would die before his eyes._  
_"Optimus, You need to back-up. Let me work." Ratchet gently pushed the Commander back. Optimus stood next to the rest of the team, the humans stood on the platform over-looking everything._

_Ratchet rushed around, stopping Arcee's energon from flowing. Taking scans. Making tests. Welding her back together. It took 3 hours for him to finally finish all of her repairs. Throughout it all, Optimus stood on the sidelines. He'd been moving closer and closer to the berth where she lay over the course of her treatment. She'd remained unconscious. The team and humans had left to go somewhere else in the base a while ago, leaving Prime, Ratchet and Arcee. "I'm going to get some energon." Ratchet said as he finished a test on Arcee._  
_"Ratchet, is she OK?" Optimus asked his longtime friend, worriedly._  
_"She had severe damage to her stomach. I need to replenish her energon levels, she lost a lot. She should be OK, as long as no complications arise in the next few hours. The next 6 hours will decide how she improves."_  
_Optimus was scared. Arcee may not survive, and he knew nothing of how their sparkling was faring. Did Ratchet even know about the sparkling. He'd run tests and done scans, but had anything shown up. Optimus hoped that Ratchet just hadn't got back that test result yet. The alternative was that there was no sparkling to find; an idea that shook Optimus too his core._  
_"Thank you, Ratchet." The medic nodded and left towards the energon storage._

_Optimus moved closer to the berth where Arcee lay. She looked dead. So still and lifeless. Thankfully she wasn't._  
_"Don't do that to me again. I need you. Wake up soon, please." He stroked her face. He lightly dragged his fingers from her cheeks to her neck, down her chest and stopped on her stomach. "My little one. Please, don't give up yet. Your strong, like your mother, you will be fine." A wave of sadness hit Optimus at that moment, "That's if you are still alive." "It is." Optimus moved his hand away from Arcee and quickly turned around to the voice. Ratchet stood leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed across his chest. _

_"How long have you been there?" The commander asked, almost nervously._  
_"Long enough." Ratchet smirked, "Your sparkling is fine. Somehow the sparkling survived both blaster shots. I had a feeling you were behind this whole pregnancy thing."_  
_"If you knew the sparkling was alive still, why didn't you say anything?"_  
_"I wanted to be sure it was yours, I couldn't come out to my commanding officer with 'Have you been getting your soliders pregnant?'. I might have been wrong, it was just a guess I made based on your behaviour these last few hours. For all I knew, Wheeljack could've gotten her pregnant when he, briefly, visited last week."_

_"I didn't even know Wheeljack had been here..." Optimus found himself slightly agitated at the thought of what Ratchet was suggesting. He didn't want to think about the idea of Wheeljack and Arcee. Him holding her. Kissing her. Caressing her body. Pleasuring her. No. He didn't want to go down that road, not now or ever. _

_"I said briefly; you were on patrol with Smokescreen when he got here; you were still out when he left. He came to see Bulkhead and Miko, then left."_  
_"If he was only here briefly, and he was with Bulkhead and Miko, why did you think it could have been him?" Optimus didn't even know why he was asking these questions. Probably to take his mind off of his unconscious femme and unborn sparkling._

_"Bulkhead had to take Miko back to her home, her host parents were growing concerned about the amount of time she was spending out, and who she was with. But thankfully June extinguished the situation when she said that Miko had been at her house with Jack and Raf. Anyway, when Bulkhead left, Bumblebee had to take Raf home for a family reunion, or something. Jack asked to be groundbridged to his work; he'd forgotten is shift and if Arcee had've taken him he would've been late. That just left me, Wheeljack and Arcee. Those two went off into the base somewhere, training room I think. I didn't see them again until the others came back. They both had a few dents in them when they came back into the main room." Ratchet finished. _

_"Are you sure nothing happened between them?" _

_"Anything could've happened." That was not the sort of answer Optimus wanted. But it was true, anything could've happened between them. There were no cameras in the training room, that's if they even went there. They could've just been training. Or interfacing... It came into Optimus's head again. The idea of Wheeljack and Arcee - his Arcee. Them holding; Kissing; Caressing; Licking; Biting; Pleasuring each other._  
_"How is she?" Smokescreen asked as he and the others arrived back. _

_"Stable, she should be fine. We just need her to wake up to be sure." Ratchet informed them. A sigh of relief was heard all around the room._  
_**'Thank Primus!'** Bumblebee bleeped as he moved closer to Arcee. He sat down by her and held her hand lightly. _

_"I'll go tell Wheeljack." Bulkhead said as he turned to walk back out again._  
_"Wheeljack?" Optimus inquired as he stepped forward. How did Wheeljack know about Arcee's situation. Why did he need to know. _

_"He commed me when Ratchet was working on Arcee and I told him what was happening. He asked me to keep him notified." Bulkhead explained._  
_"Very well." Optimus dismissed him._

* * *

_In Toronto, Canada, a Cybertronian form ran out of a mine. Seconds later the mine exploded, a light blue flame came out of the mouth. The form quickly jumped into a ship and sat in the driver's seat chuckling to himself._  
_"Take that Cons." _

_**'Wheeljack; come in.'**_  
_"Bulk! Any word on Arcee?" Wheeljack immediately replied to his friend._  
_**'Yeah, Ratchet said she's stable. She's still unconscious though and we won't know exactly how she is until she wakes up. The team is with her.'** Bulkhead commed back._  
_"Room for one more?" _

_**'Sure, but why?'** Bulkhead asked quizzically._  
_"For Arcee. I'll be there later." And with that Wheeljack put in the co-ordinates for Autobot Outpost Omega 1 and flew off._

* * *

_Bulkhead walked back into the main hanger and leaned against the platform. "Bulk, did you reach Wheeljack?" Miko asked as she ran towards her guardian._  
_"Yeah."_  
_"What did he say? Did he say why he wanted to know so badly?" _

_"He didn't really say much." Bulkhead didn't really want to say that Wheeljack was on his way, Optimus seemed a little tense when he found out Wheeljack was asking about Arcee._  
_"He must have said something." Miko, as usual, we relentless in her questioning._  
_"He said he was..." Bulkhead looked around the room, mainly at Prime,_

_"He's on his was here now."_  
_The whole team looked at Bulkhead, "Why?" Ratchet asked._  
_Bulkhead pressed his comm-link and the conversation between himself and Wheeljack played out to the team,_  
_**'Wheeljack; come in.'**_  
_**'Bulk! Any word on Arcee?'**_  
_**'Yeah, Ratchet said she's stable. She's still unconscious though and we won't know exactly how she is until she wakes up. The team is with her.'**_  
_**'Room for one more?' 'Sure, but why?'**_  
_**'For Arcee. I'll be there later.'**_

_No-one said anything about that. They couldn't really._

* * *

_**::::3 HOURS LATER::::**_

_Arcee still lay unconscious in the med-bay. Optimus still refused to leave her. Everyone was in the main hanger, waiting. Waiting for Arcee to awaken; for Wheeljack to show. And, amongst other thing, one question was going through everyone's minds: Why was Wheeljack coming all the way to Jasper for Arcee? As if on que, the sensors flared up. Someone was up top. It couldn't be Fowler, he was already there. That left one. Wheeljack sped in through the main tunnel at high speeds. Bumblebee and Smokescreen darted out of the way to avoid a collision. He drove right towards Arcee and transformed before the foot of the berth. He looked from the femme to Optimus and Ratchet, both of them stood on the opposite side of the berth to him. **'It's your sparkling and she's your femme.'** Ratchet commed a visibly tensor Optimus._  
_"What's the damage Doc? She goin' to be OK?"_  
_"We will know when she wakes up."_  
_"What happened? Which one of Megatron's goons did this to her?"_  
_"One of the Vehicons. Boss Bot killed it." Bulkhead stood next to his friend._

_The monitors flared up again. Decepticons. "Cons have hit an energon mine." Smokescreen announced from his position next to the monitor._  
_"Where?" Optimus's deep voice was heard for the first time since Wheeljack got there._  
_"Newcastle, in England." _

_"Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Smokescreen you will accompany me. Wheeljack you are welcome to join us." Optimus said. He was silently hoping Wheeljack would accept, he didn't want to leave him with Arcee again._  
_"Thanks but no thanks. I'll stay with 'Cee for a bit."_  
_Slightly agitated again, Optimus nodded at the Wrecker then turned to the rest of Team Prime, "Autobots, roll out." they drove into the groundbridge and were gone._

_"Come on kids, it's getting late I should get you all home." June stood up._  
_"But mom, what about Arcee. I can't just leave her, not until she wakes up at least." Jack protested._  
_"She's not on her own Jack; Ratchet and Wheeljack are here. And we need to go home. Miko's parents are still suspicious; Raf needs to get home; you all have school tomorrow and you have work. Arcee is in safe hands." Reluctantly Jack left, with Miko and Raf following him. _

_"Tell Bulk I said bye!" Miko shouted out the car window as June drove away._  
_"And Bee!" Raf copied the Japanese girl actions._  
_"I should probably get going too. I have my monthly meeting with General Bryce in an hour. If he asks, what should I tell him about Arcee's condition?" Fowler moved towards the elevator._  
_"Tell him what I've told Optimus, Jack, Bumblebee, Smokescreen and Wheeljack! She is stable but we will know more when she awakens!" Ratchet said, annoyed._  
_Fowler nodded at the medic and left._

_"Hey Doc. How long until she wakes up?" Wheeljack inquired._  
_"Shouldn't be long now, she's been out for nearly 7 hours. Why are you so interested in her welfare? I didn't know that you and Arcee were close."_  
_"We have a history." Wheeljack's answer was short and he barely looked up to Ratchet._  
_"Care to share?"_  
_"We knew each other on Cybertron. End of story." Wheeljack slightly looked over to the medic, "What's up with Prime? He looks more agitated than usual."_  
_"He's concerned for Arcee, he's her commander, he feels responsible for her. Guilty for not protecting her." And Ratchet wasn't lying. Optimus did feel guilty about not protecting her; but Ratchet decided not to bring the sparkling aspect of it all into the conversation. Ratchet, once again needing to get something from the back, left the main hanger._

_Wheeljack looked down at Arcee when he heard a small groan. Arcee was slowly opening her optics and holding her stomach. Ratchet had given her something for her pain, but it didn't help with the soreness._  
_"Hey." Wheeljack put his hand on Arcee's back to steady her as she sat up. _

_"Hey. Where is everyone?"_  
_"The humans have gone home; you'll want to let Jack know your awake, he didn't want to leave you until you woke up. Ratchet's somewhere in the base and the others are in England."_  
_"What are you doing here?" _

_"Oh that's what I get is it? No 'Thank you Wheeljack for coming to see me on, what could've been my death bed.'" Wheeljack said in a sarcastic, mocking way. Arcee hit his arm, in a playful way. She stabilised herself and sat up by herself; but Wheeljack was still ready to catch her if she fell._  
_"Thanks Wheeljack."_

_"Your awake then?" Ratchet re-entered the room._  
_"Seems that way doesn't it?" Arcee looked at the medic, who stopped next to her._  
_"Seems like your back to normal. But I will need to check you over, precaution. Wheeljack could you give us some space please?" Wheeljack shrugged and went to sit somewhere else. He rested on the wall by the tunnel and tossed his grenade up and down. Ratchet helped Arcee to her feet and checked her balance and strength. He sat her back down; checked her leg reflexes and back for any messed up circuits._  
_"Everything seems in working order. But you will remain off of duty until I see fit."_  
_"Ratchet... can I ask something that you must keep to yourself?"_  
_"You sparkling is fine." Arcee breathed a sigh of relief. "Optimus knows too." _

_"Optimus knows?" Arcee was attempting to act as if Optimus hadn't sired her sparkling._  
_"He is the father. Isn't he?"_

_ "What... Yes... Who else would it be?"_

_Ratchet pointed his head in the direction of Wheeljack and in return got a kick in the leg from the femme._  
_"Really? Wheeljack?"_  
_"Where did you two go when he was here a week ago then?"_  
_"To the training rooms. Gave each other different combat techniques."_  
_Ratchet left it at that. Mainly because he received a groundbridge request from Bulkhead. "Wheeljack, open the groundbridge." The medic didn't get an answer, all he heard was the groundbridge open and tyres on the floor._  
_"Miko and Raf said bye." Wheeljack said in a monotone voice._  
_Optimus walked towards the medical bay and felt a huge relief when he saw Arcee awake._  
_'**Cee! You Ok? I was worried about you!'** Bumblebee hugged the femme happily. Bulkhead patted her on the back, albeit gently. And Smokescreen offered her a smile, the two still didn't see eye-to-eye, but that didn't mean he wasn't worried about her. "I'm fine Bee, thanks. Ratchet, can I go?"_  
_"Yes but nothing strenuous. You need rest." Ratchet opened a comm-link to Optimus **'You hear that? Nothing strenuous!'**_

_Arcee slowly got to her feet, but stumbled slightly. She was caught by Wheeljack, who'd at some point moved closer to her. He picked her up into his arms, bridal style."I gotcha. Come on, I'll take you to your room."_  
_"That won't be necessary Wheeljack, I can take her there." Prime stepped forward._  
_"Yeah Jackie, let Prime do it. Come on, I'll get the lobbing ball out!" Bulkhead hit Wheeljack on the shoulder as the latter passed Arcee from his own arms into Prime's._

_Arcee and Prime walked down the corridor into Arcee's quarters. Optimus sat down on her berth and hugged her tightly._  
_"Thank Primus your OK! I thought I'd loose you, both of you." He whispered to her._  
_"You won't lose me, ever." She kissed him, "I'm fine. The sparkling's fine. It's OK."_  
_No-more words were spoken between the two. No-more word needed to be spoken. They sat there in silence and hugged each other. Optimus lay Arcee on the berth and kissed her one more time before preparing to leave. Ratchet had commed him that if he didn't come back now, someone would get suspicious. So reluctantly, Optimus left Arcee and their sparkling to rest._

* * *

That day had been a stressful one for both mech and femme. They'd come so close to loosing their child, and the mother. "Sorry Bulk." Arcee apologised weakly as she felt Bulkhead tense when she really dug her nails in.  
"It's OK 'Cee."  
Arcee closed her eyes and thought back to another time. Telling the group about the sparkling.

* * *

_Since the incident with the Vehicons, Optimus and Ratchet had both been more watchful of Arcee. Made sure she had back-up whenever she went out; was protected by Optimus on a mission; and Ratchet was giving her daily check-ups. It had been about 3 weeks since the incident and it was getting to the time when, in Cybetronian fashion, the mechs start noticing a femme's pregnancy. A femme is pregnant for 4 earth months, and it is only around the end of the first month to the start of the second, that the father finds out (That's if the femme hadn't told him already). They both knew they'd have to tell the team soon, but they couldn't find the 'ideal' moment to do so. Arcee and Optimus were with the team and humans in the main hanger. They'd not long returned form a mission, so were all recuperating. Arcee comm-linked Optimus,_  
_**'Follow me.'** She left the main hanger._  
_2 minutes later Optimus silently followed after her._

_Arcee grabbed Optimus when he came close to her. She pulled him, by his arm, down to her level and kissed him violently. Right now she didn't care that they were in the corridor where anyone walking past could see them kissing, they had to find out at some point. Optimus held Arcee's waist as he lifted her up to his height, her legs wrapping around his slender waist. Arcee's kisses moved from his lips to his neck and chassis. Optimus pushed her against the wall and began to stroke her back. _

_"Well... Didn't expect this..." The pair turned to see Smokescreen and, unfortunately, Miko. The Japanese girl couldn't contain herself. Before they could stop her she ran back to the main room._  
_"Scrap." Arcee said. Optimus put her down on the floor again. The truth was going to come out now._  
_"Smokescreen, come along. Myself and Arcee will explain this to you all." The three Cybertronians walked back to the main area._

_"BOSS BOT AND ARCEE WERE MAKING-OUT!" Miko screamed as she came back into the room._  
_"What?" Bulkhead was intrigued._  
_"Me and Smokie were walking down the corridor and there they are. Making out in the corridor. He had her pressed against the wall, he was holding her off the floor aswell and she was kissing his neck and his chest!"_  
_Miko let out a long breath. She'd said that so quickly, they didn't catch everything she said. When they saw the three bots arrive back, they looked to them for answers._  
_'**Smokescreen what is Miko on about? Optimus, Arcee what did she see?**' Bumblebee quizzed them._  
_"We saw Boss and 'Cee kissing." Smokescreen said._  
_"Are you two a couple?" Raf asked innocently._  
_"Yes Rafael; me and Arcee are a couple, and have been for some time." Optimus replied._  
_"Why didn't you tell us? 'Cee, why didn't you tell me?" Jack stepped forward._  
_"To keep the Decepticons from finding out." Arcee replied to the teenager._  
_"But how would they... Oh right" June went to question them about how the Cons would discover their relationship, but then she remembered Jack telling her about Soundwave and dismissed it._  
_"That isn't all is it you two?" Ratchet piped in from his position at the monitor._  
_"What else is there?" Fowler asked._

_"Arcee is carrying. We are to have a sparkling in around 3 months time." Different reactions were seen at that time. June, Raf and Fowler were calm during their congratulations. Bumblebee and Smokescreen were excited and happy for the pair. Bulkhead punched Optimus on the arm and gave him a hug, and hugged Arcee too. He had to be told to soften up a bit as he hugged her quite tightly. Ratchet already knew so he didn't have to say much. Jack congratulated both the new parents. But Miko, she was quite loud. SHouting al over the place. By the end of it all she needed to sit down. Overall, the reactions were positive. June warned them that they'd be in for a bumpy ride when the sparkling grew up. But, apart from the warning tip, everyone was happy for the pair. But no-one as happy as Optimus and Arcee were; or as hyper as Miko._

* * *

"WE GOT IT! WE HAVE HIS SIGNAL!" Raf shouted excitedly. "Optimus return to base, it's urgent! Arcee's having the sparkling!" Raf hurriedly comm-linked the Autobot leader.  
"Send me a groundbridge immediately!" Optimus said quickly.  
As soon as the groundbridge opened, the red and blue Semi came speeding through. Optimus transformed in record time and was right by Arcee's side. Bulkhead moved to the side to make room for Optimus. He held her hand and put his free one on her face, bringing her to look at him. "I'm sorry sweetspark." He apologised.  
"Where... were you?!" Arcee managed to push out through the pain. She knew it was close now.

"Looking in an energon mine. The minerals composition scrambled my comm-link. I would've been here had I known." He kissed her forehead. Arcee would've responded to him if she could, only she was hit by the most painful contraction yet. Arcee clung to Optimus and Bumblebee's hands as she endured the pain.  
"Ratchet?" Optimus called out worriedly.  
"Come on Arcee, you have to push now." Ratchet had set up all his tools. Everything was ready for the sparkling. The humans, Smokescreen and Bulkhead stood back. "One my count Arcee; 1...2...3... Push." Arcee dug her fingers into Bumblebee and Optimus's hands as she pushed, "Good. Just a few more. OK; 1...2...3... Push!" Again she pushed.

"Optimus. I can't do it!" Arcee caved. She wanted to give up.  
"Yes you can 'Cee. You can do this!"  
"No! I can't! I need you to promise me something..."  
"Anything," Optimus kissed Arcee's forehead softly and stroked her face "Anything you want."  
"If it comes down to a choice, save the sparkling over me." Optimus's eyes widened.  
"What?" He could barely get the word out.  
"If you have to choose between saving me and the sparkling, I..." She snapped hereyes shut in pain, "I want you to save the sparkling... Over me! Please Optimus; Promise me you will." Optimus couldn't say it, he just nodded his head in response. He hated agreeing to this, he'd do everything in his power to save them both. But now was no time to challenge her over this. The rest of the group looked at each other, not sure what to do with themselves.  
"Nearly there Arcee, and again! 1...2...3...Push" Ratchet drew the attention back to Arcee. She strained and let out a grunt of pain, "Last one now. Just one more push and it's done." Arcee pushed with all of her might and gripped Optimus and Bumblebee's hands as hard as she could. Everyone smiled when they heard the loud screeching of a sparkling fill the room. Bumblebee jumped up and hugged Arcee as she smiled happily, she was relieved for it to finally be over. It was worth it now, she couldn't wait to see her little sparkling. "It's a healthy little mech." Ratchet passed the sparkling to Optimus.

Prime was speechless. His son. His and Arcee's son. He was so perfect. He looked just like Optimus. Same colour scheme, facial features and physique. Optimus bent down so that Arcee could see him too. Arcee had tears in her eyes. Gently, he passed the little mech over to his mother. Once he was in her arms, Optimus planted his lips on Arcee's and the back of her neck in his hand. "Thank you."  
"I love you, Optimus Prime." Arcee looked back down at the sparkling in his loves arms.  
"I love you too."  
"He's perfect." Arcee, just like Optimus had moments before, admired her son.  
"You both are."

Optimus ushered the rest of the team over to the berth. He stood at the head of it and let Team Prime gather around, all of them trying to see the newborn. A wave of "Congratulations."; "He's adorable."; and the occasional "Good luck." came from all 9 of them.  
"Bumblebee, would you like to hold him first?" Optimus asked the young scout. Optimus, and Arcee, had a close relationship with Bumblebee. Both of them had known him from a very young age when. At a young age, Bumblebee's home was attacked by Decepticons and his parents had both been killed. Arcee's team, The Delta Team, had been the first to arrive to the battle and she found the young mech. She couldn't leave him there so brought him back to the Autobot base. She looked after him for a while before he had to be sent to the Military training camp, where he met Optimus.

Bumblebee nodded excitedly and bleeped his thanks to the new parents. Arcee sat up and carefully passed the young mech into Bumblebee's eager arms.  
'**He's so cute. What are you going to call him?'** Optimus and Arcee had already discussed naming their sparkling. If it was a femme, they would have called her Ada; but seen as Primus had given them a mech, he they were going to name him,  
"Hotshot." Both Arcee and Optimus said. Hotshot was passed all around the Cybertronians, whilst all the while making sure that the humans had a chance to see him. From Bumblebee, to Bulkhead, to Ratchet, to Smokescreen and then finally back to his parents.

* * *

At the end of that night, Arcee and Optimus lay on the berth in their room. Arcee lay across Optimus's chassis whilst he held her around the back and hips. Hotshot lay in the small crib-like berth that Optimus had constructed, with Bulkhead's help. "Thank you." Optimus whispered to Arcee.  
"What for?"  
"All of it. You have done everything you promised me. You said that you'd be with me, help me through this war. We'd have a family together. And we do now; you have done all you promised." He kissed her lips passionately, "I love you."  
Optimus flipped Arcee underneath him. He knew that she was still aching and sore from giving birth not 6 hours ago, so he was gentle with her.  
"I love you too." Arcee grabbed Optimus's face in her hands and kissed him passionately. The pair were quiet, as their sleeping son was on the other side of the room. Optimus rolled himself off of Arcee; he lay on his side and spooned her into him. He kissed her neck softly. "I will always be at your side Arcee."  
"I will always be at your side Optimus."

* * *

**:::: 9 WEEKS LATER ::::**

_"Don't go. Please, don't go. Just because you have done everything you promised, don't go. Just because you have done everything you promised; please don't leave me. You are everything I want. The light in my dark, dark world. Without you life is a desert; a howling wilderness." The tears silently started to flow from Optimus's optics as he kissed her hand again. "Please Primus, in your mercy, don't take her away from me!" Optimus started to feel his voice-box closing as he spoke, "My son needs his mother! And I need Arcee!"_

_"Optimus..." She said weakly._  
_"I'm here. I will never leave you. I promise."_  
_"I love you." She spoke with tears falling._  
_"I love you too." He kissed her forehead softly. "Look after them. They need you." Optimus nodded to her._  
_"But we need you too!" The unmistakable sound of the Japanese girls voice reachd their audio receptors. The whole of team Prime stood looking at them._

_Optimus drew his attention away from the team and back to Arcee. Opening up a private comm-link to Arcee he once again begged her to stay._  
_**'You can do it, you can survive this. And when you are better, we will spark-bond; raise Hotshot and end this war. Together.'** Optimus rested his forehead on hers and waited for her reply. A reply that never came._  
_Everyone's spark/heart stopped when they heard the monitors spike, they made loud bleeping noises. Optimus tightened his grip on Arcee's hand as everyone gathered around her berth. The beeping was getting slower and longer._  
_"Don't go." Optimus begged again._  
_"I love you." Arcee whispered weakly, before the beeping stopped and gave way to a long drawn out whirring of the monitor. This was it. Arcee was gone. Tears welled up in everyone's eyes. They freely flowed from Bumblebee, Raf, Miko, Jack, June and Smokescreens eyes. Optimus kissed Arcee's forehead again._  
_"I love you too. Always have, always will... I promise."_

* * *

**You don't even want to know hoe long that took me to write and edit. Hope you liked it, Thanks for reading.**


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